SOURCE: SRINIVAS GOWDA/ FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
What has been stated publicly and has been rued for years, in private, in the defense establishment on rethink of the L1 concept in defense procurement under which contracts are awarded only to the lowest bidder. Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane recently called for changes in the system and said that the L1 rider also means India is denied the chance of acquiring more capable systems than a Request for Proposal (RFP) originally aims for. Such systems cannot be bought because their costs are higher than what the Services seek. The requirements are formulated years before the systems actually start coming in and, at times, the technology jumps manyfold, especially when it concerns electronic warfare.
Not so long ago when India’s ADA had floated tenders for a new high thrust engine to power its then proposed Tejas MkII aircraft. American multinational conglomerate General Electric offered its GE F414 engines and the EuroJet Turbo GmbH consortium offered its Eurojet EJ200 engine.
Continue readingSOURCE: JATIN RAM / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
India’s indigenously produced light combat aircraft (LCA) fighter jet Tejas will display its flying prowess for the first time at the Singapore Airshow 2022 but the bigger picture might be to impress Malaysian delegations that will be visiting its neighboring country as Malaysia plans to decide the winner of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) tender for one squadron (18 planes) to be valued at around RM4 billion.
Six companies are understood to have submitted bids to supply 18 light combat aircraft (LCA) to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). Interested bidders are understood to be Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) offering the FA 50 jet fighter; Turkey Aerospace Industries, offering its Hürjet; China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp (Catic), with its L-15 fighter jet; Italy’s Leonardo, with its M-346 planes; India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, with its Tejas fighter, Rosoboronexport offering MIG 35 planes, Pakistan’s it’s JF-17.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
LCA-Tejas LSP4 completed the first one hour flight of indigenous aircraft bearings for the critical gearbox and all performance parameters met the stringent limits. Gearbox is developed ab-initio by CVRDE.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
With the assembly of the first Tejas Mk-II to begin later in April this year, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will be asking Defence Ministry for more funds as the amount sanctioned 2431.55 crores in 2009 won’t be enough to build 3rd and 4th pre-production Tejas Mk-II that will be required to carry out developmental trials of the program before it enters production in 2028-29.
Informed sources close to idrw.org have confirmed that ADA plans to build 4 Pre-production Tejas Mk-II that will be used extensively for the flight and developmental trials for the program and with previous funds allocated it can manufacture the first two Pre-production Tejas Mk-II and could require fresh funds for the development of the last two that will be near-production models that will be equipped with all components and systems that IAF had sought from the project.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
DRDO-Tata Defence developed Wheeled Armored Amphibious Platform ( WhAP ) that was inducted for user trials has completed most of the Army specified trials claimed Tata Defence. The Indian Army is currently looking for an armored vehicle to be used in high altitude areas like Eastern Ladakh is currently considering Tata Wheeled Armoured Protection (WhAP) vehicle.
The army had requested some changes after putting Army-owned WhAP through extensive trials in extreme conditions and high altitude regions after which these changes were demonstrated. idrw.org has been told soon Army will clear the proposal to place orders for WhAP in the coming months.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
Bengaluru-based Tonbo Imaging, a start-up at Aero India 2021 had showcased its STAR” a See-Through Armor (STA) on the Indian Army’s amphibious armored fighting vehicle BMP-II Sarath has claimed to have reduced size, weight, and the power of the new upgraded STAR by 30%.
STAR uses micro-optics, lower-power electronics, and real-time vision that balances front-end analog processing with sophisticated digital image processing to come up with low-power imaging platforms across visible, mid-wave infrared, and long-wave IR spectrums. Star provides a panoramic see-through Armour system that significantly improves the vehicle’s all-around survivability and enhances the vehicle’s capability to respond first and rapidly inflict damage. Star will help overcome the Army’s handicap while operating such infantry combat vehicles, including dust, smoke, fog, camouflage, and even darkness used to hamper vision on battlefields.
Continue readingSOURCE: SATYAJEET KUMAR/ FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
After storming into Kabul nearly six months ago, vocal allie of the regime in Kabul has failed to gather international support for the Taliban take over of the country that again is set to become a den of all known and unknown terror organizations soon. Frustration due to the lack of international recognition of its regime has hindered its ability to govern and also trade which has given rise to mass poverty and the famine-like situation in the country.
Fall of Kabul saw mass celebration in Islamabad as it got back its strategic depth but the rise in the spate of recent attacks on Pakistani military assets have left Pakistan again shaken by political and economic uncertainty as investors want to stay away from the region and the weapons left behind by the US Military in Afghanistan have started trickling to Baluch rebels as seen in recent daring attacks on the Head Quarters where they managed to hold the fort for nearly 60 hours.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
India’s premier defense research agency, Defence Research, and Development Organisation (DRDO) owned Ex-Air India, Airbus A319 (VT-SCO) ”Anusandhan ” that has been transferred to the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) facility in Bengaluru recently started familiarization sorties with new IAF crew manned by CABS officials along with rudimentary sensors and instruments.
Anusandhan is the first Flying Test Bed that will be used for the Design and Developmental testing of the sensor package suite for the Netra 2.0 AEW&C, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance (ISTAR), and Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA) systems programs in the country. Airbus A321 based Netra 2.0 AEW&C will be getting an upgraded Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) sensor package suite. Six A-321 that have been transferred from Air India to IAF will be heading to the Airbus facility in Europe by end of this year for structural modification before it can commence trials.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
The Ishapore Rifle Factory on Friday handed over the first batch of indigenously-developed 7.62x51mm assault rifles to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Ishapore Assault Rifle 7.62x51mm automatic rifle has a firing range of 500m and was developed in 2016 after which the Board of Officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs conducted extensive trials of the assault rifle and termed it a reliable weapon that can be introduced with the paramilitary forces too.
CRPF already has procured 500 indigenously-developed 7.62 x 39 mm Tiruchi-Assault Rifle (TAR). Ishapore Rifle Factory is trying to sell its 7.62x51mm automatic rifle to State Police and Indian Army.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
India’s premier defense research agency, Defence Research, and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range that was to be tested last year will carry out its first developmental trial likely by mid of this year said well-informed sources close to idrw.org.
Unveiled at the DefExpo 2020, Work on the development of the missile system started in 2017 with funding of 434.6 crores. NASM-SR is a 380 kg Air launched Naval Anti-Ship Missile that has an IIR seeker and has a 100kg warhead that can be launched from Naval Helicopters against small to a medium class of ships and patrol boats.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
In response to Request for Information (RFI) for the MGS was floated by the Indian Army in April last year to identify probable Indian vendors for the manufacture of the 155mm/ 52 caliber MGS under the Buy (Indian-IDDM), Buy (Indian) or Buy & Make (Indian) clauses. Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) 155 mm/52 caliber howitzer on 8×8 truck bed has been offered by DRDO along with its Private sector partners in the program.
Indian Army has a requirement of 814 MGS and it was accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AON) by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in September 2011, but since then little progress has been made. RFI states that 155 mm/ 52 Calibre Mounted Gun System will be employed in plains, mountains, high altitude areas, semi-desert, and desert terrain along the Northern and Western Borders of the country for the execution of Artillery tasks.
Continue readingSOURCE: TUSHKAR SHIRODKAR / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG.
The defense services have recorded an unusually slow pace of expenditure of their capital budgets so far with the Indian Army being the worst hit that has only spent approximately 40% of its capital budget for the ongoing financial year with barely over a month before the financial year is over, its race against time to place orders or else return the money to the Ministry of Finance.
One of the reasons for the delay in capital spending was the capping of capital budgets for domestic procurements as the Army wanted to procure more imports. This year’s budget will only increase Army’s headache as 68% of the defense capital procurement budget will be earmarked for the domestic industry in 2022-23, up from 58% in the last fiscal.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
Defence Research and Development Organisation has finalized the development of Desi variant of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) ER (Extended Range) surface-to-air interceptor that will incorporate a 150 km range to complement the XRSAM (eXtra-long Range Surface to Air Missile) that will have a range of 350km.
Desi Barak-ER like XRSAM will be a vertical-launch, all-weather, advanced active radar-guided, 50 g maneuvering interceptor capable of 360° intercepts at altitudes up to 30 km. Both Interceptor missiles will be powered by a solid fuel dual-pulse rocket motor, that already has been developed for the Indo-Israeli MRSAM Interceptor missile but with an additional solid-propellant booster it can achieve the 150 km intercept range.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
GTRE also recently revealed that is also working to develop a small turbojet engine of 1kN thrust class that can be used for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), target drones, light sport aircraft, and gliders with an additional engine. According to GTRE components have been developed for internal evaluation and based on the reviews a version-2 was later designed with major improvements.
GTRE also is working on developing a small turbojet engine of 2.7kN thrust class for which detailed design of the engine is completed and soon work on the prototype engine will start. this 2.7kN thrust class turbojet engine will be used on an air-launched air to surface missile system that is under development.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) management has allowed Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, HAL to develop a Dornier 228 seaplane based on the Dornier 228 aircraft that was so far being manufactured under license from RUAG for Indian defense forces and European markets.
Transport Aircraft Division already has developed floats for the program that has been tested intensively to replace its traditional landing gear system for taking off and landings at the sea. Conversion of Dornier 228 aircraft into seaplane was first proposed at Aero India 2021 as HAL believes there exists a small market for both civilian and military usage of such seaplanes.
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